Hard to gather all of these in the winter--which it still is at least for a day or so. Hey, at least most of the house is clean! I hope to keep it that way.

School was fine today. My substitute had kept the students on track, mostly. I did have to laugh at my last period class. They have been watching "Rear Window," the Alfred Hitchcock classic. The basic story evolves slowly at first, and is quite deceptive as to where it's going. So, for the first two days of 35 minutes or so of viewing, the students were not too enthralled. However, today's portion really brings the plot pieces together and starts to build some totally engrossing suspense. A few minutes before the bell rang, they were pleading with me to make sure they were going to watch it again tomorrow and insisting, "We have to watch more films like this!!"

This is all part of a mystery/detective fiction unit I teach and learning to understand how to build both the mystery and suspense and an integral part of the course. Anyone who knows Mr. Hitchcock's films is well aware that he was the master of both. I really love it when I can bring a classic like this into the classroom and get my students to become fans. It proves the true meaning of "classic" and exposes the students to parts of our culture they never would find on their own.

The Saga of Magiskeep

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About Me

I have been riding for more than 50 years and owned horses since 1971.
I am a retired High School English teacher and a political/environmental activist.
I write fantasy stories/novels and am a soprano choir member and soloist. I have also authored a few songs that have been published and performed.